Letter: Nurses week

Lawrence Memorial Hospital is celebrating National Nurses Week May 6-12. The purpose of National Nurses Week is to raise public awareness of the value of nursing and to help educate the public about the vital roles nurses play in meeting the health care needs of the community and the American people. In honor of the dedication, commitment and tireless effort of the nearly 3.1 million nurses nationwide who promote and maintain the health of this nation, LMH is proud to recognize nurses everywhere during this week for the quality work they provide seven days a week, 365 days a year.

LMH will recognize its nurses with a hospital celebration on May 8, as well as other activities throughout the week. The 2013 Nurses Day Planning Committee has worked tirelessly to make this year’s celebration the best ever! It is my honor and privilege to call them my esteemed colleagues. To the over 450 nurses at LMH, those in Lawrence and nurses around the nation, Happy Nurses Week!

I have had to go to the hospital several times and the nurses are wonderful. It makes all the difference in the world when you are and older person who is very sick and very scared. I totally appreciate what they have done to ease my fears and make my hospital stays tolerable.

Nurses are absolutely invaluable. thank you. my next post, I'm going to mention one in particular, but dozens have touched my life in important ways because my health has at times been so percarious, painful, or strange. thank you to all of you ladies and gents.

Dear Bonnie, writer of the letter to the editor, I hope you will be recognizing Fatima in the LMH surgical recovery ward during Nurses' week! here are just a few of the ways this wonderful nurse excelled during a very serious time I had in LMH nearly two years ago:

she was firm and calming when I was in a very extreme state and not in my right mind;

during those extreme times, she got the necessities done in a gentle and effective way.

she exuded confidence.

she displayed a high level of competence;

she never forgot concern for my comfort even when I was in that extreme state (I had nearly died before coming to her ward, and then in her ward I had a multi-day period of delirium).

So, other staff worked pretty hard too, and I could list probably two dozen others. but I thought I'd name one, and I hope you do recognize Fatima because I think she often had the worst to deal with! I write in gratitude.

What nurses do for us cannot be repaid. My life was saved by an alert nurse in intensive care. I have a good friends, and a great sister in law, who are nurses. When I was waiting in the recovery room for my surgeon there was this wonderful nurse at Stormont Vail that insisted on waiting with us, even though it went past her shift. Nurses stand with law enforcement, EMT's, firefighters, 911 dispatchers, physicians, our military and national guard, and others who are critical to our survival. They work nights, holidays, all shifts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to care for us. Thanking them for one week isn't enough, but it shows them how much we care for what they do for us. God Bless all of you.